


this time around

by andnowforyaya



Category: B.A.P, K-pop
Genre: Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-08
Updated: 2013-12-08
Packaged: 2018-01-04 01:09:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1075279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andnowforyaya/pseuds/andnowforyaya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Do you wanna get married," Daehyun says, and Youngjae's fork clatters to his plate. Daehyun's wearing this ridiculous pink t-shirt that Youngjae swears he threw out ages ago, smiling behind his sunglasses. He reaches over and twirls Youngjae's spaghetti onto his own fork. Eats it like it's the last slice of cheesecake in the bakery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	this time around

"Hey," Daehyun says, the same way he's been saying it for the past three years, two months and odd days (sixteen, Youngjae knows, but it's not like he's keeping track) - off-hand and slightly breathless, like he's been caught unaware of his own brilliance. The statements following range indeed from brilliant to inane, and Youngjae has learned to brace himself.

So Daehyun says, "hey," and Youngjae looks out onto the sidewalk, watching people on their lunch hour rushing to important places, twirling his spaghetti on his fork aimlessly, because he's already full.They'd met up for lunch at a nice cafe they've been coming to since year two because their schedules finally allowed, where the staff sets aside a table outside al fresco when the weather is nice for them, where the staff have grown accustomed to serving the young stars who can't take off their sunglasses when they eat together. The tabloids have moved past salacious headlines about the two. Now they are more interested in the park where Youngjae walks Daehyun's dog, where Daehyun buys Youngjae's favorite sweaters, what time their bedroom light turns out in their apartment in Seoul."Do you wanna get married," Daehyun says, and Youngjae's fork clatters to his plate. Daehyun's wearing this ridiculous pink t-shirt that Youngjae swears he threw out ages ago, smiling behind his sunglasses. He reaches over and twirls Youngjae's spaghetti onto his own fork. Eats it like it's the last slice of cheesecake in the bakery.

 

Youngjae's pretty sure his face has turned red, what with his heart fluttering so rapidly in his chest, all the blood traveling up his neck and onto his cheeks. He feels lightheaded. 

 

Daehyun swallows, gathers up another forkful of Youngjae's spaghetti and eats that, too, smiling all the while. "You know," he says next, shaking his head. "Like have a public-wedding style like Hyoseong did?"

 

Youngjae picks up his fork again. He has the sudden urge to throw it across the table at his partner's stupid, attractive face. "You're asking me if I  _ever_  want to get married and also have a public-wedding," Youngjae clarifies tightly.

 

Daehyun shrugs. "I guess. Public weddings are kind of..." He makes this motion with his free hand that imitates a wave or a bird.

Youngjae squints at him. "What does that mean?""Over the top?" Daehyun suggests. "Tacky?""You didn't seem to think it was tacky when you started the Congo line at the wedding," Youngjae points out. Daehyun flushes.Youngjae graciously lets him finish the rest of his spaghetti..Yongguk drags them into the studio to sample a track he's producing for TS Entertainment's new boy group at the crack of dawn, bribing them with the promise of bubble tea after, his treat. They're pretty sure Yongguk hadn't gone to sleep the night before. They're pretty sure Daehyun is  _still_  asleep."It's my day off," he whines, stamping his feet a little bit as he sits in one of the seats in the crowded studio, hands stuffed into the hoodie he had grabbed on their way out. Youngjae had managed a much more elegant cardigan, at least, and is squeezed in the seat between the two others. Sound boards take up more space than the human bodies."I want their voices to blend like yours," Yongguk explains, eyes bright with caffeine and artistic fervor. "So I need a sample for them to try to imitate."Daehyun leans his head on Youngjae's shoulder, yawns hugely, smacks his lips when Youngjae scratches lightly behind his ears."Just play the track," Youngjae tells him. "He needs like three more minutes to wake up."Yongguk plays the track. It's a lot more pop than anything he's written for their own group, light and spring-like and cute. Yongguk hums the melody he wants along with it, and then plays it again for them to try.

 

"Like this," Daehyun murmurs, singing high and Youngjae matches, low, and then they carry the chorus in thirds and Daehyun adds a little lift at the end, head on Youngjae's shoulder all the while. It always hits the pit of Youngjae's stomach, this feeling whenever they sing together: like sleepy mornings warm under the covers, legs tangled together and Daehyun's hair skimming Youngjae's bare neck, the sun just beginning to brighten the room.

 

Yongguk eyes the both of them and sighs, announcing, "Forget it. Never mind. Asking them to try to blend their voices like yours is like asking Himchan to stop looking in the mirror."

 

"So...?"

 

"You fit together too well. It'll just intimidate the younger singers." Yongguk sighs again, and then he stretches his arms over his head, releasing that smile of his. "Looks like I'll just have to manage on my own." He shoos them from the studio.

 

"You still owe us bubble tea," Daehyun calls as they're exiting, tripping over himself a little on the stairs out. "Hyung! You still owe us bubble tea!"

 

Outside, the sky is a clear non-color, and the breeze is crisp. Autumn is around the corner. Youngjae and Daehyun huddle close together as they walk, their footfalls matching. "It's true, though," Daehyun says, after a block or so. "We do fit together too well. It's been almost three-and-a-half years. Don't you think we should...?"

 

And there's a hand in Youngjae's as Daehyun stills, turns him around. Daehyun drops to one knee.

 

The fingers against his own are so gentle and warm and familiar, and Youngjae's breath is caught in his throat. He wonders, briefly, if there's anyone around to catch this moment on camera - Daehyun kneeling before him with their hands joined together, the slight blush on Youngjae's cheeks and the smile just blooming over his lips. It's early enough in the morning that he doubts there are too many paparazzi around.

 

Youngjae waits.

 

Daehyun sighs. He says, "Ah, hold on, these shoelaces keep coming undone," and drops Youngjae's hand to tie his shoes up.

 

Youngjae shoves lightly at Daehyun's forehead and turns around again, not keen on waiting.

 

"What?" he hears Daehyun shout after him. " _What_? You want me to get you bubble tea, instead?"

 

.

 

Youngjae stops anticipating. 

 

"Maybe  _you're_ going to have to be the one to do it," Himchan tells him one day after he's done complaining to him. "You know Daehyun," he offers. "His brain works differently from ours."

 

"I don't even know if he realizes he's doing it," Youngjae whines into the coffee in his hands, looking over the rim of his mug at his older friend leaning against the counter of his kitchen. Himchan's apartment always smells like coffee. "He keeps like leaving around all these hints, and doing weird things. The other day I picked up his iPad and he'd been looking at tuxes online, you know? And flower arrangements. And cakes."

 

"He's always looking at cakes."

 

Youngjae shoots him a disapproving look. "You know what I mean."

 

Himchan clears his throat. "Well, maybe he's just waiting for the right moment."

 

"A week ago he took me out to this nice Italian restaurant. We had a private table and everything. I thought he would definitely ask, then. It was perfect. Two weeks ago we went around the city in the evening, and we went to this park and started crossing this really cute bridge, and he stopped me in the middle and started talking about the first day we met, how he knew then, and that was perfect, too."

 

"He's probably nervous and scared." Himchan sips out of his own mug. "I'd be nervous and scared, too, if I was about to ask you to be with me for the rest of my life."

 

"He knows what I'd say," Youngjae answers, pouting. "The whole of Korea knows what I'd say."

 

Himchan hums, acknowledging. "Well. Maybe that scares him a bit, too."

 

.

 

The next few weeks are a whirlwind. The new boy group are preparing to debut, and Yongguk is busy helping to produce. Jongup and Junhong spend a lot of their time helping the group with their dance practice, while Youngjae and Himchan have daily filming schedules for two dramas they've booked separately, and Daehyun goes back to filming on a variety show where he's a recurring member.

 

Daehyun and Youngjae hardly see each other except for stolen video-chat time on their phones.

 

"When we have time, when our schedules open up," Daehyun promises. "I'll make it up to you."

 

"What are you even talking about? It's not like our schedules are your fault." Youngjae laughs, because it looks like Daehyun is filming from a tent, and there's the sound of rain pattering against vinyl in the background. Variety shows are rough.

 

"Still," Daehyun shrugs. "Love you, gotta go. Bye."

 

"Bye," Youngjae replies, waving at the screen. "Don't catch a cold, okay?"

 

"If I do, I can look forward to homemade soup, right?"

 

"I make it out of a can," Youngjae jokes. "I use the can opener with love."

 

"Okay I really have to go, now." Daehyun glances away from the screen, calls out to someone off camera. The answer is muted and gargled from the rain and the distance. 

 

"Okay. See you soon, okay?"

 

They hang up.

 

.

 

Daehyun catches a cold.

 

It's not anything that Youngjae hasn't seen before, but it never fails to surprise him how pathetic Daehyun can become from a little cough. Currently, he's wrapped himself up in a cocoon in their blankets after dragging his body to the couch in the living room. The TV's on but he's not really watching, just kind of dozing with his eyes open, coughing every once in a while with a cough that starts in his chest and sounds a little painful.

 

Youngjae attempts to make soup.

 

Usually, Himchan brings over something he's made in tupperware, and Youngjae can just microwave it, but Himchan is still filming and Youngjae doesn't want to bother him, and it can't be that hard to make soup, right?

 

It's just things in a pot that have been boiled. So Youngjae finds a simple recipe for a sweet corn soup online that he's pretty sure they have all the ingredients for, and boils.

 

The end result looks right. It's creamy and pale golden yellow and smells like something that Youngjae's mother could have made for him. 

 

On the couch, Daehyun stirs, sitting up, his head emerging from the cocoon with fly-away hair. "Is it done?"

 

His voice is raspy, almost husky.

 

"Yeah, just about." Youngjae spoons the soup into two bowls and carries them over to the coffee table on a tray, careful not to spill a drop. "What do you think?" he asks his boyfriend, who eyes the soup suspiciously. 

 

"Looks like soup," Daehyun says, finally.

 

Youngjae rolls his eyes and sits down on the couch next to him. "Taste it."

 

"Ah," Daehyun says, opening his mouth a little with his tongue out and turning toward him. Youngjae rolls his eyes again, but dutifully spoons the first sip into Daehyun's mouth. Daehyun swallows, considering.

 

"What do you think?"

 

Daehyun smiles. "Tastes like soup."

 

Youngjae shoves him, laughing, because, "You're mean. Ah, I spent a long time on this!"

 

"It's good!" Daehyun calls. "It's good. Stop pushing me; give me more."

 

"Use your own hands."

 

"I can't get them out." Daehyun wriggles a bit in his blanket. "They're stuck."

 

So he feeds him like he's a child, because he knows Daehyun would do the same for him. After the soup is gone, Youngjae clears the table and puts the dishes in the sink.

 

Daehyun sits back in his cocoon. "I love you, hubby," Daehyun coos from the couch. He chuckles.

 

"Does that make you my wife?" Youngjae asks over the sound of running water from the sink. He turns. Daehyun's shrugging.

 

"If that's what you want," Daehyun says immediately.

 

Youngjae flushes, turns back to his dishes. "We'd be husband and husband," he mumbles.

 

"What was that?"

 

"Nothing." The dishes are cleaned. Later, he climbs onto the couch with Daehyun and burrows into the cocoon with him, and they fall asleep.

 

.

 

Their schedules kind of suck. This is what Youngjae is going to tell their manager, with more eloquent phrasing, of course, but there it is: Their schedules kind of suck. For the next week Youngjae and Daehyun will have overlapping time together for just the few hours before daylight, because otherwise they are filming, or traveling, or promoting. And then the following Sunday they have a few more precious hours in the morning before Daehyun takes off again on a trip sponsored and filmed by the variety show.

 

Youngjae can't wait for the next B.A.P album release to be scheduled, because even if they're busier and more hectic then, at least they are busier and more hectic together.

 

So the week passes. They're so exhausted in the evenings that they fall asleep on each other mid lip-lock, and they're so disoriented in the mornings that they barely remember to kiss each other good-bye. Youngjae hates it. Thus, when Saturday night comes around, he waits perched on the living room couch and watching late-night tv for Daehyun to return, because they have a  _full eight hours_  together, uninterrupted, and as soon as Daehyun comes through the front door he's pouncing on him, he swears.

 

As soon as he comes through that door.

 

  
_When_ he comes through that door.

 

The show ends and another hour is up. Youngjae calls him and Daehyun doesn't pick up. Disappointed, he realizes that his schedule must have run longer than anticipated.

 

He turns back to the tv. It's a re-run of a drama from two seasons ago, and he watches it until his eyelids feel heavy. 

 

The next thing he knows is he's waking up to the smell of something delicious having been fried, and cooked rice, and he has a blanket around his shoulders he knows he didn't have the night before, and someone is humming behind him, high and sweet. It's warm. He reaches for the arm wrapped around his middle and tugs it tighter against his body.

 

"You were late last night," he mumbles.

 

"Sorry," Daehyun says, dropping a kiss onto Youngjae's temple. 

 

"I had really great plans for Daehyun junior," Youngjae mumbles next, not quite awake.

 

Daehyun chuckles, the vibrations from it rustling Youngjae. "I had some plans for you, too," he says. "Can you wake up, now?"

 

"I'm awake," Youngjae whines.

 

"Youngjae," Daehyun whispers into his ear. Youngjae shivers. "I love this, waking you up like this. I want to do this every day for as long as you'll let me."

 

"If you've fried me eggs there's definitely a higher chance that I'll let you."

 

"I did. I even made rice." Daehyun fidgets a little behind him, releasing his arm around Youngjae's middle before bringing it back again. "I got you something else, too."

 

Youngjae opens his eyes, shifts and turns into Daehyun's chest. The sun is just beginning to brighten the room and Daehyun is lovely like this, soft edges and shy smiles, their legs tangled together. He looks down at Daehyun's hand between their chests, and gasps.

 

It's a small box, velvety and black and elegant. Daehyun flips it open, and there's a ring inside.

 

Youngjae stares down at the band. It's simple and understated and perfect, and he can't breathe.

 

"Will you--?" Daehyun starts, and doesn't get a chance to finish, because Youngjae darts forward and catches his lips with his own.

 

"Yes," Youngjae answers, giddy with it, feeling laughter bubble out of him.

 

"--do the dishes today?" Daehyun finishes breathlessly, laughing, too.

 

"Yes!" Youngjae shouts at him, dragging them both up to sitting. "Yes, yes, yes." 

 

"Will you marry me?" Daehyun finally manages at once.

 

Youngjae kisses him again, smacks their lips together like it's the second time ever, feels exhilaration pushing him forward and then he's in Daehyun's lap and Daehyun gasps, "Hey! Let me put the ring on you, at least."

 

Youngjae lets him.

 

It's a perfect fit.

 

.

**Author's Note:**

> This was for a [nice anon](http://andnowforyaya.tumblr.com/post/69405872628/hi-okay-so-i-really-like-your-fics-so-far-and-was). Come visit me at [my personal tumblr](paperkrane.tumblr.com) or leave [me a prompt](andnowforyaya.tumblr.com/ask)!


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